Acrocorinth

The fortress atop the Acrocorinth.

On the fortress walls.


The storm is coming.

Athens, First Impressions: Anneke

Athens is a fascinating blend of modern and historical elements. On the one hand, it is a bustling metropolis. On the other hand, it is steeped in history with remnants of Ancient, Byzantine, and Ottoman influences covering the city. Walking through the streets of Athens, this dual nature is evident. It shifts from a modern city to a historical one in a matter of blocks. One minute it's all traffic, apartment buildings, businesses, and tourists. The next minute the Acropolis, Hadrian's Arch, or the Olympic Stadium comes into view and history all of a sudden becomes the focus. Athens seems to defy those who would try to elevate the importance of one period of its rich history above another. It is clear in this city that it is imperative to understand and not overlook any part of its past, present, or future.

The people of Athens also manifest this dual nature of modernity and tradition working in conjunction with one another. The young people in Athens are very similar to youth in the United States. They wear jeans and t-shirts, they go to clubs, and they hang out with their friends. The older citizens of Athens are still very much connected to the Greek traditions of the past. They wear more traditional clothing, they are very religious, and they extend hospitality to all strangers. Despite their differences, these people are living and working side by side everyday in Athens. It seems to be the perfect place for them because they can embrace the past and the future.

It is essential to note that along with the deterioration of the classical monuments in Athens, so too is the traditional culture lost a little bit with each passing generation. That is why it is so important to visit Athens at this time, before the history and traditions are lost.

On a final note, it is so interesting to watch Athenians going about their daily lives despite the awe-inspiring city around them. This is mind-boggling because they are surrounded by legendary monuments that have held a revered place in history for ages and yet they can walk down the street as if they were in any other place in the world. As a group, we know that if we were Athenians we would never get anything done because it is difficult for us to focus on anything but the Acropolis as we walk around the city. As Michael Llewellyn Smith states in Athens: A cultural and literary history: "[The Acropolis] seems to follow you around."

Athens, First Impressions: Emmalee

In the first few days in Athens I've been able to make a few cultural observations comparing what we're all accustomed to as Americans and what we're now experiencing in Greece. I found some similarities in culture and also some big differences.

Right away, after getting of the plane and taking the bus to Syntagma Square I noticed that Athens resembled most busy American cities in that it has a high volume of busy traffic, the life on the streets seems high paced and there are many people who seem to be going to work in office buildings. We can also all relate to aggressive bus drivers having come from Madison. However, I observed that the tiny streets in Athens are much bigger and seemed more cluttered than the strategic, structured American streets. There are a high volume of scooters buzzing through Athens, which are also seen in Madison but not at this high of number or with this aggressive of drivers. We found out almost immediately that pedestrians in Athens have absolutely no right-of-way at all. One thing I was surprised to see was the Mercedes that served as bright yellow cabs in Athens. There are also a high number of Smart Cars here that I've never seen back in the states. I was also very impressed by the clean and easily navigated public transportation network that Athenians enjoyed.

With navigation and signs in general I was glad to see that we had the benefit of seeing all the street signs in both Greek and English. I also must actually look American as well, because I was stopped on Syntagma Square and was asked if I could speak English. I was of no help however as they asked for directions! So although I was happy to see that the street signs were in English, I was actually surprised that more billboards and advertisements weren't in English. Most everyone here speaks Greek and only uses English to deal with tourists it seems. Actually, there seem to be less signs in general in Greece than in the U.S. For example, today at the Acropolis, I only saw a handful of small signs that said "Don't Touch." And there were only loose ropes separating thousands of visitors from ancient, world-renowned monuments. I was also surprised there weren't more warnings of slick marble surfaces or heat stroke, like there likely would be in the U.S., but I didn't see any. This made me realize that American tourist destinations are just run in a different way and I hypothesize that the lawsuits that occur in America are just too numerous for us to leave obvious warnings like these out. But the good news is that people seemed to generally show respect for the site and the history of the Acropolis.

Annoying street vendors seem to be universal but they have a different way of operating in Athens than they do in most American cities. We went to the beach a few days ago and were interrupted every three minutes by vendors walking through the sand selling everything from towels, to watches, to fake tattoos. I have a feeling that Americans wouldn't be as tolerable of these salesmen and might have law enforcement interfere. There was one place though, that I noticed there were no vendors. The Acropolis would be a perfect place to sell water or souveniers, but somehow there were no vendors on the Acropolis. There is likely either a law preventing this or the vendors don't find it worth it to pay the twelve Euro to get daily admittance to the site. Another aspect of salesmanship that is rather opposite of American is the restaurants that solicit there meals to passersby. It's likely a part of their culture and they must make money off of it, otherwise it wouldn't be worth their energy. There is a lot of competition between restaurants in Athens, so advertising your restaurant as the best and cheapest is probably their best way to make money, even if it is pushy at times. This also possibly reflects the more locally-owned economy that these restaurants and shops run on. Most people that work at these places likely have personal stake in it.

Dining is a whole new experience in Athens than it is in America. For one, the tip is already included on the bill in Athens and most of Europe for that matter. Perhaps serving is more of a professional occupation for Greeks, whereas in America, many of us students serve as a part-time job and the occupation is not often respected. When your meal is done in Greece, you are allowed to stay for as long as you like and won't be hassled by a waiter with the bill. In fact, you have to personally ask for the bill before the server will give it to you. Etiquette is also different in America when compared to Greece. The food comes up at many different times and you are allowed to begin eating when you receive your food. We have all experienced a case already in Athens where the first person will already be done eating before the last one has even received his or her food. The one similarity that I did see in dining is the server's distaste for separating bills. As a server myself, I know I hate doing it but in the U.S. we are practically forced to cater to the customer, whereas in Greece, the server simply won't separate bills for you.

First impressions overall of Greece in the first few days though have showed me that the Greek culture is one of hospitality to its guests. When you dine, you are a guest at their personal table. We met a man that not only served us but told stories and did Greek magic during our meal. When I asked for extra tzatziki at one restaurant I was told to go sit down and a lady came back with a heaping plate of the side for me. As tourists I feel we are generally welcomed by the natives and they seem to love to share their culture with us. The same man with the beads told us all about Greek mythology and his beliefs in magic. They are also open to Americans and I was praised by one man for our President Obama. Hospitality is even demonstrated all the way down to the way that the stray dogs of Athens live their daily life. The dogs are taken care of by the people and in turn, they take care of their people.